Infolding machine



Nov. 3, 1936. A. G. GILBERT INFOLDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: 'i a.

Filed Jan. 4. 1953 ATTO S Nov. 3, 1936.

A G. GILBERT INFOLDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 4, 1935 I n a.

A v INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Reece Folding Machine Company,

Boston,

Mass, a corporation of Maine Application January 4, 1933, Serial No. 650,072

3 Claims.

This invention is a novel infolding machine, intended particularly for the infolding of the edges of a cloth blank, such as a part of a collar or other garment, and at the same time im-- pressing or indenting adjacent to the edges thereof certain marks or indentations at selected points.v The impressed marks or indentations may be for various purposes, for example location marks to assist in a subsequent step in the production of a garment, such as for registering or positioning a folded blank during the connecting or stitching thereof to some other part or garment. As an illustrative instance the invention is shown applied tothe infolding of the margins of blanks to form collar bands or neck bands intended to be attached or stitched to shirts, and sometimes to have collar tops stitched to such bands, the location marks or indentations serving as indexes or registering marks to insure the proper relation between the shirt and the band, and between the band and the top of the collar, the index mark being only of temporary character and serving during the connecting or stitching operation.

Examples of cloth blank infolding machines include the prior patent of Dixon issued October 18, 1932, No. 1,883,343, and other examples --include the Dormandy Patents No. 1,126,421 of January 26, 1915, and No. 1,216,293 of February 20, 1917. In these and various other well-known 'machines, the blank to be folded is laid upon a supporting bed, a templet is caused to descend upon the blank for defining its outline, and an infolder or set of infolders is movable inwardly to infold the blank margins over the edges of the templet; and such machines are usually power operated and have connections for causing the infolders to be depressed forcibly so as to squeeze and crease the infolded blank edges between the infolders and the bed, and in the patents mentioned such squeezing or pressing is j performedwhile the infol-ds are occupied by the thin edges of the templet. It is of considerable manufacturing value and advantage that definite marks be produced at proper points around the periphery of each infolded blank so as to insure its correct register- "ing with the garment or part to which it is to be stitched. For example, if the blank is to form W part of a neck band or collar band to be attached to a shirt, the index marks may be so placed that when alined with the seams of the shirt the band will be in proper position. The jgen'eral object of the present invention is to afford a blank infolding and impressing machine having efficiency and accuracy in placing marks or indentations at the margins of infolded blanks for the described or other purposes. A further object is to afford a machine as described which will be simple in construction and convenient in operation.

Other and further objects and advantages will be explained in the hereinafter following description of an illustrative embodiment of -the invention or will be understood to those skilled in the subject. To the attainment of such objects and advantages the present invention consists in the novel machine, and the novel features of combination, arrangement and construction herein illustrated or described.

more or less diagrammatic view in what may be termed right end elevation but with the central cooperating parts shown in transverse section,

In the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 is a of an infolding machine embodying the present n invention, the templet being shown in its defin-' ing position, and in dotted lilies in its elevated or retracted position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of an infolded and indented collar band blank as made with this invention, the folded blank being doubled over conveniently to show both sides.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the templet or defining member, its supporting parts shown in horizontal section.

plet resting upon a cloth blank which in turn is resting upon the bed of the machine,' the templet and the blank being broken away to show the underneath construction.

r 1.3 Fig. 4 is a similar top plan view of the tem- Fig. 5 on a larger scale is a vertical longitudi nal section showingtherelation of the templet, the blank and the bed.

Fig. 6 is a similar vertical transverse section.

Fig. 7 is a perspective underneath view of one end of the defining part of the templet.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the other end of the templet showing how the templet end may be displaced to facilitate removal of the folded blank after the lifting of the templet.

The basic machine hereof is generally well known, according to the recited or'other prior patents, and may be described as comprising certain basic elements which are caused to cooperate by a suitable mechanism usually power operated. Thus the blank supporting member or bed comprises a frame part 2| and frequently an elevated or pad portion 22 on which latter the blanks res-t during the described operations.

This bed is frequently maintained hot and is usually stationary although it might be lifted slightly for the blank squeezing operation in lieu of depressing the infolders as herein illustrated. The blank defining member or templet 27 is suitably mounted todescend upon the bed and subsequently to rise; and it is herein indicated as a templet which does not withdraw or contract from the folds before the squeezing and impressing operations, although under certain equivalent arrangements the type of templet which withdraws or contracts might be employed. The third basic element is the means for infolding the extending blank edges over the peripheral edges of the templet so as to produce the infolds, this element preferably comprising a system of infolder plates 12 with connections to move them in for the folding, and preferably to pull them down for the squeezing operation and subsequently to retract them outwardly to permit the extraction of the completed blank and the in-- sertion of a new blank.

According to the present improvement, what may be termed complementary marking or impression elements are associated with the basic elements described in such a way that as the machine goes through its usual infolding and squeezing operations the impression elements will cooperate to afford the desired location marks on the folded periphery of the blanks. The complementary marking elements will be described as a projection and a recess respectively, and the projection may take various forms such as a rib, a small boss or even a penetrating point, the recess consisting of any groove or receiving space for the projection element. In the illustrated embodiment one of the impression elements is on the bed or support, while the other or complementary element is on the templet or defining member, the projection !2 or 13 preferably being at the under side of the templet and the recess 14 or E opposed to it and formed in the top surface of the bed, so that when pressure is applied the material is impressed with the desire-d location marks, although the arrangement might be inverted; and the impressing projection is preferably such as to force the material into the opposing recess, thus to produce an indentation in the material, which affords a registering mark which will survive long enough for the subsequent stitching or other operations.

The illustrated blank is shown as consisting of a piece of cloth a, for example of the shape of a collar band, the front or lower margins of which are to be infolded forming infolds b and the up per or rear margins forming infolds 0. At the lower or front periphery of the folded blank are shown registering marks or indentations d, while at the opposite or rear periphery are similar marks or impressions e. The purpose of this particular arrangement may be that the front or lower impressions d, which are fairly close to the ends of the blank, locate the points for attachment of the collar top portion, while the upper or rear markings e, nearer to the middle of the length of the blank, are for the registry of the band with the shirt, for example with seams at the shoulders of the shirt, insuring accurate placing of the band upon the shirt; and in some instances the impressions e might be supplemented or replaced by a single central impres sion for registry with the rear center of the shirt.

Referring to the new machine partially illustrated in Fig. 1, the said Dixon patent may be referred to for further details. An operating shaft I9 is shown carrying the cams to perform in proper timing the several operations. Above the shaft the frame carries the bed 2| and on top of that is supported the elevated pad 22, upon which the infolding is done, and which may have substantially the contour to be folded, with underneath portion 23 extended into oblong form to fit in a corresponding recess in the bed 2|. The combined parts 22 and 2 3 of the pad may be transversely divide-d into sections which may be adjustable or interchangeable for varying the contour or size of the blank, as indicated by the division lines in Fig. 4. Such adjustment may be by sliding lengthwise to different positions the bed portions 22, guided by the groove Zi and the undercut groove 2 I formed at the upper side of the under bed 2|, and shown in Fig. l, on well known principles shown in prior patents.

At the rear of the machine are upstanding brackets 2d carrying a rock shaft 25 from which extend forwardly arms 26 supporting the templet or die 27. The lifting and lowering of the arms and templet may be effected through a rear lever arm 29 having connections including a link 30 to a cam lever 32 operated by a cam on the shaft it; the templet being thus lowered and lifted during each cycle or rotation of the shaft.

The templet 21 may be of different forms but its defining edge is herein shown as having sharp ends. For purposes of adjustment or interchange the templet is shown as comprising a middle plate a left end plate 36 and a right end plate which is subdivided into two portions 36 and 36 The middle and left plates are shown mounted at the lower ends of vertical supports or carriers 31, while the two parts of the right end plate are on separate carriers 37 and 37 The several carriers except 37 are secured to a lug 38 projecting downwardly from the body 39 of the templet.

The right end of the templet is subdivided into two plates 36 and 36 for the purpose of facilitating the removal of a folded blank from the templet without the need of contracting the templet out of the folds while resting on the bed. The details of the mounting may be such as shown in Fig. 8 wherein the carrier 31 is connected to the carrier 3'! by an inclined slot and stud device M and a horizontal slot and stud device 42, with a spring 43 pulling them to their normal position shown in full lines, the tip end plates 36 then being in the same plane with the other plates of the templet. When the templet is raised to the dotted position of Fig. 1 the operator can readily snap the folded blank from the templet by tipping down the right end, to the dotted position shown in Fig. 8, until the blank is disengaged at that end, when the blank is readily pulled downward and leftward to disengage it entirely from the templet. The infolding system may be of any desired kind. There is indicated a front infolder 12 and a rear infolder lif which, in Fig. 1, have lifted and moved inwardly over the templet to form the folds. To support the infolder system and bring about lifting and lowering movements there is shown a generally square frame or carriage 62 such as is more fully described in said Dixon patent. The front and rear parts of the frame may have telescoping movements to permit the infolders to be moved inwardly and outwardly, the connections for this purpose being indicated at the outer sides of the respective frame sides 62. Above the front and rear infolders or infolder frame parts are shown front and rear pressure blocks 10 and 10 respectively, by which the frame and infolders may be lifted and lowered. These blocks are shown mounted upon pressure rods I35 and I35 respectively, and their lower ends may have connections with a cam lever I operated by a cam I on the shaft I9 as more fully described in said Dixon patent; a cam I63 coming into play after the folding to effect a powerful pulling down of the infolder system for squeezing the infolded blanks.

The impressing or indenting means have already been described and are shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to 7 so positioned and operated as to afford the product illustrated. in Fig. 2. The complementary impression elements for forming each impression or indentation are shown as consisting of a projection and a recess. For example near each end of the blank the templet has at its underside a projection or rib I2 which comes directly above a recess or groove [4 in the bed, so that as the templet comes down upon the blank upon the bed the elements cooperate to produce the impression or indentation d. The same operation takes place as between the projections l3 and grooves 45 to produce the indentations e.

The objects of the invention are thus secured, two of the resulting impressions being available for indexing or registering the folded blank correctly with corresponding points or impressions on a shirt or other garment, consisting of seams or formed in any other manner, and the other two impressions serving to register the collar band with a collar top when stitching them together, preferably before their attachment to the shirt.

There has thus been described an infolding machine fulfilling the purposes of the present invention and embodying its principles; but since many matters of operation, combination and construction may be variously modified within the scope of the invention, the claims are not intended to be limited to such matters except to the extent set forth in the respective claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for infolding edges of collar or analogous blanks and impressing temporary location marks adjacent the folded periphery thereof, to assist subsequent registration with or attachment to other parts of articles or garments, comprising in combination, a bed having a raised blank support or pad approximately the size and shape of the folded blank, a blank defining member fitted to descend upon a blank upon said support and to retract upwardly, and an infolding member fitted to move inwardly for infolding a blank edge while resting on the raised support and defined by the defining member, and to retract outwardly beyond the support and there to descend to a normal lowered position; one of said members and the support having complementary blank impressing elements, namely a short projection located adjacent the blank periphery and an opposing recess; whereby with a single operation of the defining and infoldlng members the blank is defined, infolded and impressed with marginal registration marks at the required peripheral points; the defining member being constructed in sections and having means for adjusting lengthwise its sections for different lengths of blank, and the raised support being constructed in sections and having means for adjusting lengthwise its sections to correspond with adjustment of the defining member and thereby adjusting its impressing element for each length of blank.

2. A machine as in claim 1 and wherein is meansto squeeze the folded blank between infolding member and bed and thereby to force said projection into said recess for impressing the blank at its periphery.

3. A machine as in claim 1 and wherein the defining member has a body, and its sections being fixed to the body against longitudinal shift in each adjustment, and an end section being mounted to tilt downwardly for snapping the folded blank from the defining member.

ALFRED G. GILBERT. 

